For many generations now is has been customary during lectures and presentations to resort to the use of books, booklets, posters and the like in order to explain to a classroom or to an audience, certain diagrams, pictures, graphs, charts or other devices serving to make the presentation more easily understood, or to help hold the attention of the audience. In many instances of this type, it has been customary to utilize an easel, made up of a slightly inclined front surface, at the bottom of which is a small ledge or shelf upon which the book, booklet, poster or other item can be held in a slightly rearwardly inclined attitude.
Most unfortunately, when a book or booklet is resting against the front surface of the typical easel, the pages of the book tend to sag or droop in such a manner as not to be easily read by the persons in the audience. Consequently, it has been customary to utilize certain means for holding the pages in a relatively flat condition, which means can take the form of a small clip or clamp utilized on the right and left edges of the book in order to keep the pages in a readily readable attitude. Another option may include the use of a fairly long elastic strap used to encircle the easel and the book, with such strap serving to hold the pages flat.
As a consequence of the use of devices of this type, it becomes fairly burdensome for the teacher or lecturer to turn the pages of the book for as is obvious, it is necessary to remove the clips or clamps, or the encircling strap before the page can be turned, after which the clips, clamps or encircling strap must be restored to the page-retaining positions.
The Bloom U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,522 entitled "Book Holder" exemplifies the type of device requiring the use of an encircling band in holding the pages of a book in an open position.
The Cummins U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,980 entitled "Collapsible Desktop Stand for Portable Electronic Calculator" represents a device that could be used for holding a book as well as a calculator, but this patent contains no teaching of an arrangement for holding the pages of a book or booklet in an open, easily read position.
The Aquino U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,817 entitled "Collapsible Podium" involves a display device having front and rear panels in a hinged relationship to a floor panel, with a lip structure provided for supporting a book adjacent the front panel. However, this patent is entirely silent as to any capability of such lip structure providing an automatically functioning bias arrangement for holding the pages of the book in a flattened, easy to read position.
The MacEwan U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,316 entitled "Portable Viewing Stand" pertains to a device involving several multifolded components, requiring careful assembly and entirely failing to teach a book-supporting component biased automatically into a relationship in which the pages of the book are held in an easily read position.
The Leeb U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,305 entitled "Lightweight Collapsible Book Stand" teaches the use of a device having a relatively strong cellophane or transparent plastic strip secured to the front panel of the device. This patentee specifies that if his book stand is used with a thin book or magazine, the book or magazine may be read through the transparent means. This, however, is a far cry from a retaining lip automatically biased into a position in which the pages of a book are maintained flat for easy reading.
The Menaged U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,628 entitled "Collapsible Variable Position Reading Stand" teaches a device involving a frontal panel and a rear panel, with it being readily possible to alter the angular positions of the frontal panel with respect to a book-engaging support lip. Although this patent permits a range of adjusted positions for the convenience of the reader, this patent, also, is silent as to any capability of the support lip utilizing an automatically functioning bias arrangement for holding the pages of a book in a flattened, easily read position.
The Michela U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,423 entitled "Folding Portable Support Stand" requires a substantial amount of assembly time, and quite importantly, this patentee provides no teaching of an arrangement for reliably holding the pages of a book in an open, easily read position, and thereafter readily permitting the user to turn the page of the displayed book or booklet without having to remove an encircling band or release a clip.
Although it is obviously well known to provide a ledge or shoulder on an easel or support stand, the prior art has not taught an arrangement for keeping the pages from turning unintentionally, due for example to a draft. Furthermore, the prior art has not taught an arrangement for permitting the teacher or lecturer to deliberately and easily turn the page of the displayed book without first having to remove a clip, clamp or encircling band, and to thereafter avoid having to reapply such device when the page turning has been completed.
It was in an effort to overcome the distinct disadvantages of prior art devices of these and other types that the present invention was evolved.